Filling and tapping assembly for beer kegs and the like

ABSTRACT

A valve assembly for mounting in an opening in the wall of a keg or the like, and containing a tubular housing which is open at the bottom end and which extends into said keg. A valve body is mounted in the tubular housing for movement between a closed position in which it is in closed, sealing engagement with the keg opening, and an open position in which it is spaced from the keg opening to permit liquid to flow past the valve body and into the keg for washing or filling purpose. The valve body is preferably yieldably biased toward the closed position. Liquid and gas passageways with associated valve means are provided in the valve body, whereby gas under pressure can be admitted into the keg and liquid can be withdrawn therefom when the valve body is in the aforesaid closed position, as by using a tapper attachment.

United States Patent 691 Johnston 1 1 FILLING AND TAPPING ASSEMBLY FOR BEER KEGS AND THE LIKE [76] Inventor: Mack S. Johnston, 26 Hitching Post Dr., Rolling Hills, Calif. 90274 [22] Filed: July 13, 1973 211 Appl. No.: 378,856

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 193,894, Oct. 29,

1971, abandoned.

[52] US. Cl 137/322, 141/21, 141/54, 141/293, 222/400.7 [51] Int. Cl. Fl6k 43/00, B65b 31/02 [58] Field of Search... 137/212, 315, 317, 320323; 141/1-4, 5, 37,54, 59,14-21,85, 92, 99,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,277,929 10/1966 Cook 141/92 [451 Feb. 18,1975

Primary Examiner-Houston S. Bell, Jr. Assistant ExaminerFrederick R. Schmidt Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wills, Green & Mucth 1 1 ABSTRACT A valve assembly for mounting in an opening in the wall of a keg or the like, and containing a tubular housing which is open at the bottom end and which extends into said keg. A valve body is mounted in the tubular housing for movement between a closed position in which it is in closed, sealing engagement with the keg opening, and an open position in which it is spaced from the keg opening to permit liquid to flow past the valve body and into the keg for washing or filling purpose. The valve body is preferably yieldably biased toward the closed position. Liquid and gas passageways with associated valve means are provided in the valve body, whereby gas under pressure can be admitted into the keg and liquid can be withdrawn therefom when the valve body is in the aforesaid closed position, as by using a tapper attachment.

18 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures FILLING AND TAPPING ASSEMBLY FOR BEER KEGS AND THE LIKE CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLIC ATIONS This applications is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 193,894, filed Oct. 29, 1971, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to the siphoning art, and more particularly to a novel filling and tapping valve assembly for beer kegs and the like, whereby the same keg valve assembly can be used for admitting liquid into the keg for cleaning purposes, thereafter admitting liquid into the keg which is to be subsequently dispensed therefrom, and for withdrawing the aforementioned liquid from the keg.

For many years and up to the present time, substantially all commercial beer kegs have been filled through an opening in a side wall, which opening is then closed with a wooden bung or plug.

Also, up until relatively recent times, the beer was dispensed from the keg by removing another cork from the top wall and inserted an elongated tap rod assembly which had a siphoning device associated therewith, means also being provided to inject compressed air or carbon dioxide gas into the keg through the tap rod assembly so as to force the beer out of the keg to a spigot or faucet. After all of the available beer had been withdrawn from the keg, the bartender would then remove the tap rod assembly and siphoning device from the spent keg and repeat the process with a full keg. Inasmuch as the same tap rod assembly and siphoning device were used over and over again, it was necessary for the bartender to frequently clean the units in an effort to remove old yeast deposits and bacteria so as to avoid contaminating the beer in the fresh barrel.

Another problem with the aforementioned draft system was that the spent or empty kegs had an opening in the top wall thereof from which the cork had been removed, which opening permitted all kinds of foreign matter and things to enter the keg. Consequently, the cleaning of these kegs at the brewery prior to refilling was a laborious and costly process.

Being familiar with the aforementioned problems, I invented various beer tapping assemblies which included a keg adapter mounted in the end wall of the keg and containing a spring-biased valve which remained closed to prevent the escape of beer, unless and until a tapper was engaged with the adapter and actuated to cause a tap rod to unseat the aforementioned valve and permit the beer to flow therefrom under pressure from a source of compressed air or carbon dioxide gas which was connected to the tapper. Various forms of my aforementioned adapter and tapper assembly are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,231,154, No. 3,353,724, NO. 3,410,458, No. 3,422,448, No. 3,435,997, No. 3,438,553, No. 3,497,114, No. 3,550,818, No. 3,563,424, No. 3,567,080, No. 3,591,057, No. 3,599,843 and No. 3,610,478.

Although the various forms of adapter and tapper assemblies shown and described in the aforementioned patents constituted a considerable advance over prior beer tapping devices, they continued to present problems with regard to satisfactorily washing the keg adapter and the interior of the keg while the adapter remained fastened in the keg, and prior to the refilling of the keg with beer.

Recognizing the aforementioned problems, I invented a novel tapping assembly in which the valves in the keg adapter are yieldably biased toward the closed position by actuators which include permanent magnets. Thus, while the permanent magnets have sufficient holding force to maintain the gas and liquid valves in the keg adapter in the closed position during the shipment of a beer-filled keg, the valves are readily unseated when the tapper is installed for withdrawing the beer from the keg, and they are also unseated when a water hose is connected to the adapter during the washing operation which precedes the filling of the keg with beer through the aforementioned bunghole in the side wall. The aforementioned novel "tapping assembly is shown and described in my copendling application, Ser. No. 189,281, filed Oct. 14, 1971, now US. Pat. 3,758,008.

However, as mentioned hereinabove, kegs continue to be filled with beer through an opening in the side wall, which opening is subsequently closed with a wooden bung or plug. This presents several problems. Prior to washing and refilling the keg with beer, the old wooden plug or bung is removed with a special screw augar which cuts into the bung and pulls it out of the opening. However, often times the bung will split into pieces and such pieces and chips will fall into the keg, thereby requiring special efforts to remove the pieces and chips and a further inspection to make certain that all have been removed.

Thereafter, when the keg has been washed and is in transit to the racking room where the keg is to be filled with beer, the bunghole remains open, with the possibility that foreign matter might fall into the keg and contaminate the beer which is subsequently introduced into the keg.

After a keg has been filled with. beer by means of a filling rod is inserted through the aforementioned bunghole, the hole is closed with a wooden plug or bung which is usually manually driven into place with a sledge hammer. If the first bung does not effectly close the opening, it is not uncommon to place a second hung on top of the first one, and to drive the first bung into the keg. There might be dirt and bacteria on the outer face of the first bung where the sledge hammer struck it, and this could also contaminate the beer.

Obviously, the manual removal of a hung from an empty keg, with the accompanying inspection to make certain that all chips have been removed, and the manual driving of a bung into the hole after the keg has been filled with beer, are time consuming operations and materially add to the cost of a keg of beer.

Also, an additional major problem occurs after the bung has been driven into the opening and the keg has been removed from the racking room, because it is expected that anywhere from 0.5 percent to 1.0 percent of the kegs will leak around the bung. If such leakers are detected in the storage room, it is necessary to remove and replace the old bung, but many such leakers are not detected in the storage room or they begin to leak during transit, with the result that they are rejected at the tavern, and must be returned to the brewery and the contents dumped.

With the aforementioned limitations and deficiencies of prior filling and tapping equipment and methods in mind, it is an object of the present invention to dispense with the filling of beer kegs through an opening in a side wall thereof, which opening is subsequently closed with a wooden bung of plug. More particularly, it is an object to provide a novel valve assembly for insertion in a wall of a keg, which valve assembly can be used for both filling the keg with beer and for withdrawing the beer therefrom. Specifically, it is an object to provide a novel valve assembly which provides means for introducing cleaning fluids into the keg prior to refilling the keg with beer, which provides means for subsequently filling the keg with beer, and which further provides means for thereafter admitting compressed air or gas into the keg and for the withdrawing of the beer therefrom at a restaurant or tavern.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a filling and tapping valve assembly which is of simple but rugged construction, and which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a filling and tapping valve assembly in which the various passageways are of simple configuration and the moving parts few in number, whereby the assembly can be easily and thoroughly cleaned.

Yet another object is to provide a method of washing, filling and dispensing of a liquid through the same opening in a keg or the like.

I have discovered that the foregoing objects and advantages are achieved by a valve assembly which is adapted to be mounted in an opening contained in the wall of a keg, and which includes an elongated tubular housing with an open inner end which extends into the interior of a keg. A valve body is mounted in the housing for limited axial movement between a closed position in which it is in closed, sealing engagement with the keg opening, and an open position in which it is positioned away from the opening. The valve body may be yieldably biased toward the closed position, as for example, by a coiled spring. The housing adjacent to the opening is of a size to slidably receive the valve body, and increases in size away from the opening, whereby when the valve body is maintained in the open position, an annular space is provided between the valve body and the housing wall to provide for the flow of liquid therebetween and into the interior of the keg. Gas and liquid passageways with associated valve means are provided in the valve body, and a siphon tube is provided in the keg in communication with the liquid passageway in the valve body, whereby when the valve body is in the closed position, gas under pressure can be admitted to the interior of the keg and liquid can be withdrawn therefrom through the siphon tube. In the preferred construction, the valve means associated with the liquid and gas passageways are biased toward the closed position by sets of permanent magnets, whereby said passageways will be opened by the flow of liquid into the tubular housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a novel filling and tapping valve assembly embodying the teachings of the present invention, shown installed in a keg with a single opening in the end wall thereof, the keg being shown in cross-section,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, vertical, sectional view of the upper portion of the filling and tapping valve assembly shown installed in a keg, with some of the elements being shown in elevation, and with the valve body in the closed position,

FIG. 3 is a vertical, sectional view similar to FIG. 2, with the valve body in the open position,

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4--4 in FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view of the bottom portion of one form of siphon tube construction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Although the novel filling and tapping valve assembly of the present invention can be used with containers which store and dispense various types of liquids, it is especially suitable for use with kegs which contains draft beer, and will be so described.

Referring to the drawing more particularly by reference numerals, and specifically to FIG. 1, the numeral 10 indicates a filling and tapping valve assembly constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present'invention, shown installed in a keg 12 which in cludes a top end wall 14 and a bottom end wall 16.

The top end wall 14 (FIG. 2) contains an opening with an inner passageway 18 and an outer passageway 20, separated by a shoulder or ledge 22, said opening being surrounded by an upstanding flange 24 which is provided with internal threads 26.

Positioned in said opening and bearing on the shoulder or ledge 22, is an annular flange member 28 which has an inner wall surface 30 and an outer wall surface 32. The flange member 28 is releasably maintained in position in the opening by a retaining ring 34 of conventional construction, which ring includes an internal annular groove 36 with diametrically opposed slots 38 (FIG. 3).

Fastened to the outer wall surface 32 of the flange member 28, as by spot welding, is an elongated tubular housing having an upper valve housing portion 40 and a lower siphon tube housing portion 42 of reduced diameter, providing a shoulder 44 therebetween. The bottom end of the siphon tube housing is open and is positioned a short distance above the bottom wall 16 of the keg. The upper and lower portions of the tubular housing can be made in separate sections and connected together, or they can be of unitary construction.

Referring to the upper valve housing portion 40, it contains an upper neck section 46 with an inner wall surface 48 and is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced, elongated vents or ports 50. The upper neck section 46 merges into a body section 52 of slightly greater diameter, which body section includes an inner wall surface 54.

Positioned within the valve housing portion 40 for limited axial movement therein, is a cylindrical valve body 56 which may be made of a magnetic material, and having an upper edge 57 and containing an external annular groove 58 adjacent said upper edge, the groove receiving and supporting an O-ring 60. Extending from the upper end of the valve body is a tubular bayonet portion 61 which forms the upper portion of an axially extending liquid passageway 62 which contains a valve seat 64, a liquid valve member 66, and a valve actuator 68.

Two diametrically opposed gaspassageways are provided in the valve body radially outwardly of the central liquid passageway, each of which gas passageways contains a valve seat 72, a gas valve member 74, and a valve actuator 76. The valve actuators 68 and 76 are axially movable permanent magnets, each of which is enclosed in a thin metal casing or coated with a material with a low coefficient of friction, such as polished nickel. Embedded in the valve body on opposite sides of each of the gas passageways and adjacent to the liq uid passageway are two sets of permanent magnets 75 and 77 which are generally parallel with said valve actuators (FIGS. 4). Adjacent each of the gas valve seats is a gas port or vent 78 which communicates with a shallow external annular groove 79, for a purpose to appear.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the valve body 56 is in the uppermost or closed position, the upper edge 57 thereof abuts the retaining ring 34 and the O-ring 60 is in sealing engagement with the inner wall surface 30 of the flange member 28. It will also be noted that the outer surface of the valve body 56 is in sliding engagement with the inner wall surface 48 of the neck section 46, whereby gas which enters the upper end of the gas passageways and depresses the gas valve members 74, will flow through the ports 78 and into the groove 79, and through the ports 50 in the neck section 46 of the upper valve housing 40. However, the gas is substantially prevented from flowing downwardly between the outer surface of the valve body and the inner wall surface 48 and into the body section 52 of the housing. Although any flow of gas between the valve body and the inner wall surface 48 will not materially adversely affect the dispensing of beer from the keg, it is preferably to have substantially all of the gas pass through the ports 58, whereby the gas pressure will be directly applied against the upper surface of the liquid in the keg, rather than have some of the gas bubble upwardly through the liquid and into the space above the liquid surface.

Fastened to the lower end of the valve body 56 is a tube fitting 80 (FIG. 2) which receives the upper end of a siphon tube 82 which is in communication with the central liquid passageway 62. The siphon tube 82 extends downwardly through the valve housing portion 40 and the siphon tube housing 42, with the lower end thereof in close proximity with the bottom wall 16, whereby susbstantially all of the beer can be siphoned from the keg. The siphon tube 82 can be made of flexible plastic material so that the bottom end thereof will bend when it contacts the bottom end wall 16, as when the valve body 56 is moved to the open position.

As shown in FIG. 2, a coiled spring 84 is preferably disposed about the upper portion of the siphon tube 82, the lower end of the spring engaging the shoulder 44 and the upper end thereof bearing against the tube fitting 80, whereby the valve body 56 is yieldably biased in the upper direction and to the closed position.

An alternative form of siphon tube construction is shown in FIG. 5, which construction obviates the use of a flexible plastic siphon tube which some breweries may find objectionable. In the altenrative construction, the siphon tube 82(0) is rigid and is made of stainless steel. Also the lower end of the siphon tube housing 42 is proivded with an open bracket 86 which supports a short sleeve 88, the lower end of which is in close proximity with the bottom end wall 16 of the keg. The lower end of the siphon tube 82(a) is provided with an O-ring 90 and is received in said short sleeve 88, whereby when the valve body 56 is moved between the open and closed positions the lower end of the siphon tube 82(a) will be in sliding sealing engagement with the inner surface of said sleeve.

When an empty keg 12 containing a filling and tapping valve assembly 10 is to be prepared for refilling with beer, the keg is placed in an inverted position in a washing fixture which is provided with an arm (not shown) which engages the valve body 56 and moves it into the open position shown in FIG. 3. A stream of water and cleansing materials is then directed through the open flange member 28, through the ports or vents 50 and into the interior of the keg. Liquid will also flow around the valve body in the valve housing, and the flow of liquid into the gas passageways will move the gas valve members 74 to the open position, whereby liquid will flow through the gas ports 78. All of the liquid in the valve housing will then flow through said valve housing 40 and the siphon tube housing 42 and into the interior of the keg. At the same time, the incoming liquid will also move the liquid valve 66 to the open position, whereby the liquid will flow through the liquid passageway 62 and the siphon tube 82 or 82(a), into the interior of the keg.

Accordingly, it will be apparent that all of the various parts of the valve assembly and the interior of the keg will be washed with the cleaning liquid, which is then permitted to drain from the interior of the keg and the various parts of the valve assembly. If desired, warm air can be circulated through the keg in like manner to speed the drying. Also, the interior of the keg can be inspected at this time when the valve body is in the open position.

When the aforementioned arm (not shown) is relased, the valve body 56 is moved to the closed position of FIG. 2 by the spring 84. Also, when the flow of cleansing material ceases, the liquid and gas valve members 66 and 74 are moved to their closed position by their respective actuators 68 and 76 in association with the embedded magnets and 79. This results in a closed clean keg, which can be stored in this position for future filling without concern about dirt and other foreign matter entering the keg, or, as in the usual situation, the keg is then moved to the racking room to be filled with beer.

With the keg 12 in the upright position as shown in FIG. 1, a similar arm (not shown) engages the valve body 56 and moves it to the open position as shown in FIG. 3. A beer filler tube (not shown) which can can be separate from or a part of the aforementioned actuating arm, extends through the neck section 46 of the upper valve housing 40, below the vents 50 and to adjacent the bayonet portion 61. This permits the incoming beer to flow around the valve body 56 and through the various passageways with the valve members 66 and 74 being forced to the open position by the pressure of the beer flow as previously described whereby the incoming beer enters adjacent the bottom of the keg through the valve housing 40 and the siphon tube housing 42, and through the liquid passageway 62 and the siphon tube 82 or 82(a).

As the beer enters the lower portion of the keg, the air is forced upwardly and through the ports 50 and into the neck portion 46, and thence through the keg opening. When the keg is filled with beer, the tiller tube and actuating arm (not shown) are removed and the coiled spring 84 returns the valve body 56 to the closed position with the O-ring 60 in sealing engagement with the inner wall surface 30 of the flange member 28. The two gas ports 78 and their associated annular groove 79 will be in radial alignment with the ports 50 in the neck section 46.

The individual valve actuators 68 and 76, which, as previously described, are preferably permanent magnets acting in cooperating with the stationary magnets 75 and 79, return their respective valve members to the closed position as shown in FIG. 2, thereby completing sealing the keg. There is also a residual gas pressure in the keg, from about 9 pounds per square inch to about 34 pounds per square inch, and this further aids in maintaining the gas and liquid valve members in the closed position.

When the keg is transported to a restaurant or tavern for use, a gas pressure hose (not shown) and a beer faucet hose (not shown) are easily and quickly interconnected with the aforementioned gas passageways and the liquid passageway in the filling and tapping valve assembly, as by means of a tapper which is shown and described in my co-pending application, Ser. No. 189,281 filed Oct. 14, 1971. As shown in FIG. 2, with such an assembly gas enters the keg through the ports 78, the annular groove 79, and the ports 50 in the valve housing, and the beer is forced upwardly in the siphon tube 82 or 82(a) and through the liquid passageway 62.

Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided a novel filling and tapping valve assembly which fulfills all of the objects and advantages sought therefore, and which completely obviates the need for a beer filling opening in the side wall of a keg and a plug or bung which must be installed and removed each time a keg is refilled with beer, and which also avoids the usual 0.5 percent to 1 percent leakers.

I claim:

1. A valve assembly for filling a keg or like container with a liquid and for dispensing a liquid therefrom, which container includes a wall having an opening therein, comprising:

a main housing having one end thereof constructed and arranged to be received and supported in the wall opening, said housing including a neck portion with an inner wall surface adjacent to said one end and a body portion with an inner surface adapted to extend into the interior of a keg in which the assembly may be mounted, said neck portion further including an annular inner sealing surface;

a valve body with an outer surface mounted in said main housing for limited axial movement therein relative to said annular surface, between a closed position in which the valve body is in sealing engagement with said annular surface and an open position in which it is spaced therefrom;

a liquid passageway extending through said valve body for the transfer of liquid from the inside to the outside of the keg when the valve body is in the closed position;

normally closed liquid valve means in the liquid passageway;

a gas passageway extending through said valve body for the transmission of gas from the outside of the inside of the keg when the valve body is in the closed position;

normally closed gas valve means in the gas passageway; and

a siphon tube having one end thereof in communication with the liquid passageway in the valve body, the other end of said siphon tube extending toward the interior of a keg in which the assembly may be mounted.

2. A valve assembly according to claim 1, which further includes means for moving the valve body from the open position to the closed position.

3. A valve assembly according to claim 2, in which the means for moving the valve body, yieldably biases the valve body toward the closed position.

4. A valve assembly according to claim 2, in which the main housing contains an internal shoulder, and means for moving the valve body to the closed position includes a coiled spring having one endthereof in engagement with said shoulder and the other end in engagement with the valve body.

5. A valve assembly according to claim 1, which further includes at least one port in the neck portion of the main housing intermediate the annular sealing surface and the valve body when the valve body is in the open position, whereby the interior of the neck portion is in communication with the interior of a keg in which the assembly may be mounted.

6. A valve assembly according to claim 5, in which the liquid valve means is yieldably biased toward the closed position, whereby when the .valve body is in the open position, the liquid passageway is usable to admit liquid into the keg and the port is usable to exhaust gas from the keg during the filling of the keg with a liquid.

7. A valve assembly according to claim 5, in which the liquid valve means is yieldably biased toward the closed position; the other end of the main housing is open and in communication with the interior of a keg in which the assembly may be mounted; and the outer surface of the valve body is spaced inwardly of the inner surface of the body portion of the housing when the valve body is in the open position, whereby during the filling of a keg with liquid, liquid will flow through the liquid passageway and around the valve body into the interior of the keg and gas will be exhausted from the keg through the port.

8. A valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the other end of the main housing is open and in communication with the interior of a keg in which the assembly may be mounted, and the outer surface of the valve body is spaced inwardly of the inner surface of the body portion of the housing when the valve body is in the open position, whereby liquid can flow around the valve body and into the interior of a keg during the filling of the keg with a liquid.

9. A valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the liquid passageway is separate from the gas passageway, and the liquid valve means and the gas valve means are yieldably biased toward the closed position, such that the liquid passageway is usable to admit liquid into the keg or to dispense it therefrom and the gas passageway is usable to admit liquid into the keg during the filling thereof.

10. A valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the liquid valve means is yieldably biased toward the closed position by an actuator which includes a permanent magnet movably mounted in the liquid passageway.

11. A valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the gas valve means is yieldably biased toward the closed position by an actuator which includes a permanent magnet movably mounted in a channel associated with the gas passageway.

12. A valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the liquid valve means and the gas valve means are yieldably biased toward the closed position by actuators which include movably mounted, permanent magnets.

13. A valve assembly according to claim 1, in which said gas passageway and the neck portion of the main housing contain ports which are in communication when the valve body is in the closed position, whereby the gas passageway is usable to admit gas into a keg in which the assembly may be mounted.

14. A valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the outer surface of the valve body is in sliding engagement with the inner wall surface of the neck portion of the main housing when the valve body is in the closed position, and the valve body is in the body portion of the main housing when the valve body is in the open position with the outer surface of the valve body spaced from the inner surface of the body portion to provide for liquid flow therebetween.

15. A valve assembly according to claim 1, in which said one end of the siphon tube is attached to and moves with the valve body.

16. A valve assembly according "to claim 15 in which the main housing includes another end opposite to siad one end which is to be received in the wall opening, which other end is interconnected with a siphon tube housing of reduced diameter and said other end of the siphon tube is received in the siphon tube housing.

17. A valve assembly according to claim 15, in which said main housing is interconnected with an elongated outer siphon tube, and the other end of the siphone tube, which has its one end attached to the valve body, is in telescoping engagement with said outer siphon tube.

18. A valve assembly according to claim 17, which further includes an O-ring positioned between said other end of the siphon tube and the outer siphon tube to provide a sliding, sealing engagement therebetween. =i= 

1. A valve assembly for filling a keg or like container with a liquid and for dispensing a liquid therefrom, which container includes a wall having an opening therein, comprising: a main housing having one end thereof constructed and arranged to be received and supported in the wall opening, said housing including a neck portion with an inner wall surface adjacent to said one end and a body portion witH an inner surface adapted to extend into the interior of a keg in which the assembly may be mounted, said neck portion further including an annular inner sealing surface; a valve body with an outer surface mounted in said main housing for limited axial movement therein relative to said annular surface, between a closed position in which the valve body is in sealing engagement with said annular surface and an open position in which it is spaced therefrom; a liquid passageway extending through said valve body for the transfer of liquid from the inside to the outside of the keg when the valve body is in the closed position; normally closed liquid valve means in the liquid passageway; a gas passageway extending through said valve body for the transmission of gas from the outside of the inside of the keg when the valve body is in the closed position; normally closed gas valve means in the gas passageway; and a siphon tube having one end thereof in communication with the liquid passageway in the valve body, the other end of said siphon tube extending toward the interior of a keg in which the assembly may be mounted.
 2. A valve assembly according to claim 1, which further includes means for moving the valve body from the open position to the closed position.
 3. A valve assembly according to claim 2, in which the means for moving the valve body, yieldably biases the valve body toward the closed position.
 4. A valve assembly according to claim 2, in which the main housing contains an internal shoulder, and means for moving the valve body to the closed position includes a coiled spring having one end thereof in engagement with said shoulder and the other end in engagement with the valve body.
 5. A valve assembly according to claim 1, which further includes at least one port in the neck portion of the main housing intermediate the annular sealing surface and the valve body when the valve body is in the open position, whereby the interior of the neck portion is in communication with the interior of a keg in which the assembly may be mounted.
 6. A valve assembly according to claim 5, in which the liquid valve means is yieldably biased toward the closed position, whereby when the valve body is in the open position, the liquid passageway is usable to admit liquid into the keg and the port is usable to exhaust gas from the keg during the filling of the keg with a liquid.
 7. A valve assembly according to claim 5, in which the liquid valve means is yieldably biased toward the closed position; the other end of the main housing is open and in communication with the interior of a keg in which the assembly may be mounted; and the outer surface of the valve body is spaced inwardly of the inner surface of the body portion of the housing when the valve body is in the open position, whereby during the filling of a keg with liquid, liquid will flow through the liquid passageway and around the valve body into the interior of the keg and gas will be exhausted from the keg through the port.
 8. A valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the other end of the main housing is open and in communication with the interior of a keg in which the assembly may be mounted, and the outer surface of the valve body is spaced inwardly of the inner surface of the body portion of the housing when the valve body is in the open position, whereby liquid can flow around the valve body and into the interior of a keg during the filling of the keg with a liquid.
 9. A valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the liquid passageway is separate from the gas passageway, and the liquid valve means and the gas valve means are yieldably biased toward the closed position, such that the liquid passageway is usable to admit liquid into the keg or to dispense it therefrom and the gas passageway is usable to admit liquid into the keg during the filling thereof.
 10. A valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the liquid valve means is yieldably biased toward the closed poSition by an actuator which includes a permanent magnet movably mounted in the liquid passageway.
 11. A valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the gas valve means is yieldably biased toward the closed position by an actuator which includes a permanent magnet movably mounted in a channel associated with the gas passageway.
 12. A valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the liquid valve means and the gas valve means are yieldably biased toward the closed position by actuators which include movably mounted, permanent magnets.
 13. A valve assembly according to claim 1, in which said gas passageway and the neck portion of the main housing contain ports which are in communication when the valve body is in the closed position, whereby the gas passageway is usable to admit gas into a keg in which the assembly may be mounted.
 14. A valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the outer surface of the valve body is in sliding engagement with the inner wall surface of the neck portion of the main housing when the valve body is in the closed position, and the valve body is in the body portion of the main housing when the valve body is in the open position with the outer surface of the valve body spaced from the inner surface of the body portion to provide for liquid flow therebetween.
 15. A valve assembly according to claim 1, in which said one end of the siphon tube is attached to and moves with the valve body.
 16. A valve assembly according to claim 15 in which the main housing includes another end opposite to siad one end which is to be received in the wall opening, which other end is interconnected with a siphon tube housing of reduced diameter and said other end of the siphon tube is received in the siphon tube housing.
 17. A valve assembly according to claim 15, in which said main housing is interconnected with an elongated outer siphon tube, and the other end of the siphone tube, which has its one end attached to the valve body, is in telescoping engagement with said outer siphon tube.
 18. A valve assembly according to claim 17, which further includes an O-ring positioned between said other end of the siphon tube and the outer siphon tube to provide a sliding, sealing engagement therebetween. 